Includes

Teacher's Notes
and
Instruction Manual and 012-04446D
10/95
Typical
Experiment Results Experiment Guide for
the PASCO scientific
Model EM-8623

CURRENT BALANCE

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© 1990 PASCO scientific $10.00

012-04446D Current Balance

Table of Contents

Section Page
Copyright, Warranty and Equipment Return ................................................... ii
Introduction ..................................................................................................... 1
Theory ............................................................................................................. 1
Equipment ........................................................................................................ 2
Equipment Configuration ................................................................................ 3
Assembly:
Suspension Wire Adjustment .................................................................... 4
Installing the Damping Vane ..................................................................... 5
Refilling the Gallium Pots ......................................................................... 5
Experiment Setup ............................................................................................ 6
Wiring ........................................................................................................ 6
Balancing ................................................................................................... 7
Zeroing....................................................................................................... 7
Experiments:
Experiment 1:
Force vs. Current ................................................................................. 9
Experiment 2:
Force vs. Separation ........................................................................... 11
Experiment 3:
Horizontal Component of the Earth’s Magnetic Field ....................... 13
Appendix ........................................................................................................ 14
Wire Replacement .................................................................................... 14
Storage ...................................................................................................... 14
Material Safety Data Sheet ....................................................................... 15
Teacher’s Guide .............................................................................................. 19
Technical Support ................................................................. Inside Back Cover

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Current Balance 012-04446D

Copyright, Warranty and Equipment Return

Please—Feel free to duplicate this manual

subject to the copyright restrictions below.

Copyright Notice Equipment Return

The PASCO scientific Model EM-8623 Current Should the product have to be returned to PASCO
Balance manual is copyrighted and all rights reserved. scientific for any reason, notify PASCO scientific by
However, permission is granted to non-profit educa- letter, phone, or fax BEFORE returning the product.
tional institutions for reproduction of any part of this
Upon notification, the return authorization and
manual providing the reproductions are used only for
their laboratories and are not sold for profit. Repro- shipping instructions will be promptly issued.
duction under any other circumstances, without the
written consent of PASCO scientific, is prohibited. ä NOTE: NO EQUIPMENT WILL BE
ACCEPTED FOR RETURN WITHOUT AN
Limited Warranty AUTHORIZATION FROM PASCO.
PASCO scientific warrants this product to be free from
defects in materials and workmanship for a period of When returning equipment for repair, the units
one year from the date of shipment to the customer. must be packed properly. Carriers will not accept
PASCO will repair or replace, at its option, any part of responsibility for damage caused by improper
the product which is deemed to be defective in mate- packing. To be certain the unit will not be
rial or workmanship. This warranty does not cover damaged in shipment, observe the following rules:
damage to the product caused by abuse or improper
use. Determination of whether a product failure is the ➀ The packing carton must be strong enough for the
result of a manufacturing defect or improper use by the item shipped.
customer shall be made solely by PASCO scientific.
Responsibility for the return of equipment for warranty ➁ Make certain there are at least two inches of
repair belongs to the customer. Equipment must be packing material between any point on the
properly packed to prevent damage and shipped apparatus and the inside walls of the carton.
postage or freight prepaid. (Damage caused by
➂ Make certain that the packing material cannot shift
improper packing of the equipment for return shipment
in the box or become compressed, allowing the
will not be covered by the warranty.) Shipping costs
instrument come in contact with the packing
for returning the equipment, after repair, will be paid
carton.
by PASCO scientific.

Address: PASCO scientific

10101 Foothills Blvd.
Roseville, CA 95747-7100

Phone: (916) 786-3800

FAX: (916) 786-3292
Credits email: [email protected]
This manual authored by: Bruce Lee and Ann Hanks web: www.pasco.com
This manual edited by: Ann Hanks
Teacher's guide written by: Eric Ayars
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012-04446D Current Balance

Introduction
The Current Balance is used to measure the force of re- 2. Reliable Electrical Contact:
pulsion between identical oppositely directed currents in
Nontoxic molten gallium metal is used to make the elec-
parallel conductors. There are three unique features in the
trical contact reliably continuous and nearly frictionless.
PASCO Model EM-8623:
This eliminates the traditional problem of intermittent
1. Torsion Wire Suspension: contact of knife-edge connections. The gallium pots are
heated electrically because gallium melts at about 30 de-
This unique suspension system allows the operator to grees Celsius, although gallium will often remain in the
balance the force for any currents rather than using the super-cooled state for long periods of time and thus will
usual standard masses which require that the current be remain liquid even below the melting temperature.
adjusted to match the force applied. Any force can be
obtained on the continuously adjustable dial that controls 3. Easy Adjustment of Conductor
the amount of torque exerted by the wire. Separation:
After initially setting the parallel conductor separation,
the separation can be easily and precisely changed to any
other value using the 1 mm pitch-adjusting screws to raise
and lower the bottom conductor.

Theory
The force on a straight conductor in a magnetic field is given
by

F = LI1 × B2
where I1 is the current in the conductor, L is the length of the F
straight conductor that is immersed in the magnetic field, I1
and B2 is the strength of the magnetic field (see Figure 1).
The magnetic field, B2, is produced by the second long B2
straight conductor and is given by
µ0I2 L
B2 = I2
2πr
where µ0 is the magnetic permeability of free space (1.26 x
10-6 H/m), r is the center-to-center distance between the
conductors, and I1 is the current in the second wire. Thus,
the force on one conductor due to the other parallel conduc-
tor is given by
µ0I2 Figure 1 Parallel Conductors
F = LI1
2πr
Since the currents are the same, the magnitude of the force is

µ0LI2
F=
2πr

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Current Balance 012-04446D

Equipment
The PASCO Model EM-8623 Current Balance includes Equipment Required But Not Supplied:
the following equipment:
• a power supply capable of putting out at least 8
• a Current Balance apparatus Amps (such as the PASCO Model SF-9584 Low
• a 9 V transformer Voltage AC/DC Power Supply)
• a 20 N spring scale • ammeter (10 A)
• a 500 x 1 mg mass set
➤ NOTE: The mass set included contains more
• a compass
masses than required for completion of the experiment.
• a 0.6 ml vial of gallium
• an allen (hex) wrench, and
• extra torsion wire.

Current Balance
apparatus

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Compass

Allen wrench
Spring scale 9 V Transformer
Gallium vial
Spare wire

Model EM-8623 Current Balance

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012-04446D Current Balance

Equipment Configuration
The Current Balance consists of a rectangular conducting One end of the torsion support wire is fastened to a rotat-
frame through which current passes by entering and exit- able degree dial and can be rotated a total of three revolu-
ing through liquid gallium (see Figure 2). The entire tions, one-and-a-half revolutions in either direction from
frame is suspended by a 0.006-inch diameter high- the center equilibrium position. The other end of the tor-
strength torsion wire. The rectangular frame is counter- sion wire can be rotated only about 200 degrees and is
balanced by a long beam having a movable counter-bal- used to make fine adjustments in the zero equilibrium
ance mass on it and a magnetically damped vane on its position.
end. The vane also serves as a zero-position indicator.
The torsion balance has a sensitivity of about 3 degrees
Directly below the long side of the rectangular frame is a per milligram of force. A change of less than 2 degrees
parallel conductor carrying the same current in the oppo- on the degree dial is discernible. The balance has a 20
site direction. The height of this conductor is adjustable Amp fuse to protect the equipment from damage. Good
to allow different separations between the conductors. measurements can be made with a current of 5 A and a
Also either end can be lowered or raised independently of maximum working current of 15 A is recommended.
the other to make the two conductors parallel.
The two gallium pots can be raised to the operating posi-
The separation adjustment screws have a 1 mm pitch and tion or lowered and capped for storage.
are used to adjust the center-to-center conductor separa-
tion from 3.2 mm to 15 mm in increments of 0.05 mm.

Separation
adjustment
Rectangular screw
conductor Top parallel
frame conductor

Mass pan

Gallium
pot
Bottom
parallel
Damping conductor
vane

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CU Degree dial
Counterbalance
mass

Figure 2
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Current Balance 012-04446D

Assembly
The following steps need only be performed once when be used later during the zeroing procedure to make
the Current Balance is unpacked for the first time. fine adjustments. Make sure the wire is free to slide
through the three wire clamps [two clamps are located
Suspension Wire Adjustment on the rectangular conductor (Fig. 9) and the third is
➀ Carefully remove the Current Balance from its ship- on the back side of the dial (Fig. 5)]. If not, use the
ping carton and remove any temporary balance sup- allen (hex) wrench to
Back of
loosen the set screws in degree dial Wire
port material.
the top and bottom of
➁ The balance is shipped with the covers clamped over each of the clamps.
the gallium pots (see Figure 3). To adjust the tension Wire
in the suspension wire, first lower the gallium pots, ➃ Connect the end of the clamp
allowing the rectangular frame to rest on the gallium wire that protrudes from
pot covers while the other side is supported by the the front of the degree
dial to the spring bal- Thumb
bottom conductor. To lower the gallium pots, loosen screw
ance (provided with ap-
paratus) by tying a knot Center of
Cover around the spring bal- range
Gallium adjustment
pot cover ance hook. Carefully
Gallium screw
pull on the spring bal- Figure 5
pot ance and hold it at a ten-
Position sion of about 18 N (4 lb). It may be safest to have a
thumb second person assist in this procedure. While holding
screw Back view the proper tension, clamp the wire by cautiously tight-
ening the thumb screw on the back side of the degree
Gallium pot
dial (see Figure 5).

➤ CAUTION: Over-tightening may cut the wire

and require threading a new wire through the holes.
(See Appendix for wire replacement instructions.)
Cover Also, under- tightening may allow the wire to slip.
removed
Figure 3 Adjusting the gallium pots ➄ Raise the gallium pots until they support one side of
the rectangular frame. Tighten the position thumb
the position thumb screws screws on the gallium pots to hold them in place.
and push the pots down. Wire clamp
Counterbalance Cotter pin
➂ Check that the wire clamp is beam Counterbalance
properly seated in the end
Damping mass
support post and is free to ro-
tate (see Figure 4). Set the Vane
degree dial to zero degrees,
checking the back-side of the Brass thumb
dial to ensure that the dial is screw
in the center of its range (see
Figure 5). Rotate the thumb
Balance damper
screw protruding from the
support
wire clamp to the vertical po-
sition. This wire clamp will Figure 6 Installing the Damping Vane
Figure 4
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012-04446D Current Balance

Installing the Damping Vane ➁ Loosen the cover thumb screws and press down and
away from the pots to release the covers. Then rotate
➀ Loosen the brass thumb screw located on the Current
the covers 90 degrees and clamp them on the side of
Balance base (see Figure 6) and move the balance
the pot by tightening the same cover thumb screws.
damper support to its outermost position so there is
room to install the vane. ➂ If the gallium is solid, warm the vial of gallium to
about 30 degrees Celsius. One method would be to
➁ Place the sliding mass on
immerse the vial in hot tap water (for 15-30 min-
the counterbalance beam. Magnetic damper
utes). Do not use boiling water as this might melt
Orient the vane so that the
Magnetic the plastic seal.
index mark on the vane
strip
faces the side of the bal-
➤ CAUTION: Gallium causes intergranular
ance that has the degree
corrosion of aluminum and can damage alumi-
scale. Then carefully in-
num objects.
sert the beam through the
square hole in the center
black plastic block on the ➄ Pour about half of the 0.6 ml vial of gallium (see Fig-
rectangular frame. Insert ure 1) into each pot. Do not overfill.
the small cotter pin in the ➃ To make the electrical contact, loosen the position
end hole to prevent the screws on each gallium pot and raise each pot so that
counterbalance beam from Balance damper
support the pointed contacts extend nearly to the bottom of the
slipping out. liquid gallium. This position is found by raising the
➂ Place the magnetic damper Figure 7 pot until the rectangular frame begins to rise, then
on the support as shown in lowering the pot until the frame ceases to appear to be
Figure 7. Slide the damper bracket from side to side supported by the gallium. The frame is supposed to
so the vane does not touch the magnets on either side. be suspended by the suspension wire rather than sup-
Also slide the damper bracket in or out so that all three ported by the gallium which is only there to make the
index lines (one on the damper vane and two on the friction-free electrical contact.
bracket) are all visible at the same time (see Figure 8). ➅ If the contacts do not match the gallium pools, loosen
Clamp the balance damper support in place with the the small allen (hex) set screws on the top of the two
brass thumb screw located on the base of the Current small black blocks (see Figure 9) that clamp the wire
Balance. to the balance frame, then slide the frame as needed.
Re-tighten the set screws with caution because excess
Index Lines tightening will cut the wire and too little tightening
Vane
will allow the wire to slip.

Balance
Magnetic frame
damper

Set screw
Magnet Small black
Figure 8 block (2)

Refilling the Gallium Pots

➀ Lower each gallium pot by loosening the position
screw (see Figure 3) and pushing down on the pot un- Wire
til it reaches the bottom of its travel slot. Then re-
tighten the screw to hold the pot in its lower position.
Figure 9 Torsion Wire Suspension

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Current Balance 012-04446D

Experiment Setup
The following steps must be performed at the beginning ➁ Place the compass on the Current Balance base under
of each experiment: the two parallel conductors. To eliminate the effect of
• wiring the Earth’s magnetic field, orient the parallel conduc-
tors in the magnetic N-S direction as indicated by the
• balancing the rectangular frame so it is not touching
alignment of the compass needle. Remove any ferro-
the lower conductor and is supported only by the wire
magnetic materials from the vicinity of the Current
suspension, and
Balance.
• zeroing the balance so the parallel conductors are a
known distance apart which then can be used as a ref-
➤ NOTE: To eliminate the effects of all extrane-
erence for all other desired separations.
ous magnetic fields, bypass the fixed conductor and
Wiring complete the current loop with a lead wire. Then
orient the Current Balance until there is no deflec-
➀ Connect the balance to a variable DC power supply as tion of the beam when a large current is turned on
shown in Figure 10 using banana plug lead wires. Use and off.
long lead wires and keep them as far away from the
rectangular frame as possible (minimum distance 25 ➂ A 9V transformer is supplied with the Current Bal-
cm). This is so the magnetic field produced by the
ance to power the gallium heater. To keep the gallium
current in the lead wires will have a negligible effect
liquid, plug it into the jack (see Figure 10).
on the balance.

DC POWER SUPPLY

- +
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A
Compass

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NOTE: Rectangular frame

is not continuous through
this block so the current
does not go through this 9 V to gallium
portion. heater

Figure 10 Wiring Diagram

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012-04446D Current Balance

Balancing conductor up so it just barely touches the top conduc-

tor. Raise the bottom conductor by rotating the sepa-
➀ Turn the degree dial to zero degrees, making sure that
ration adjustment screws counterclockwise alternately
the dial is in the center of its range by looking in back
one turn at a time until the bottom conductor just
of the degree dial to see if the peg sticking through the
barely touches the top conductor. This should keep
large gear is halfway through the range of the gear slot
the conductors parallel as the bottom conductor is
(see Figure 5). Rotate the rear wire clamping thumb
raised. When the conductors are just touching, the
screw so it is vertical (see Figure 4).
balance beam should still read zero. When this is
➁ Slide the counterbalance mass (see Figure 2) until the complete, the separation between the two conductors
balance beam is horizontal. Fine adjustments in bal- is equal to one rod diameter (3.2 mm).
ance can be made by turning the rear wire thumb
screw (see Figure 4) slightly, which twists the back ➤ NOTE: If the bottom conductor cannot be
portion of the torsion wire. Because there is so little raised enough by turning the separation screws,
friction in the pivot, air currents may cause the balance rebalance the top conductor so that it is slightly
to move. Avoid drafts. lower. This may require moving the counterbal-
ance mass and the damping magnets.
➂ Position the slidable damping magnets (see Figure 7)
so that when the balance beam is horizontal, the index ➂ Now whenever the balance is in the zero position, the
reads zero (all three index lines line up as in Figure 8). center-to-center separation of the conductors is known
Zeroing to be 3.2 mm. Then any other desired separation can
be known by keeping track of the number of rotations
In the following steps the separation between the parallel of the separation adjustment screws which move the
conductors is calibrated by first making the two conduc- bottom conductor one millimeter for each complete
tors touch each other, at which point the separation is rotation.
known (the diameter of the conductor = 3.2 mm). Then
the additional separation is determined by keeping track There is a circular scale on the top of each screw
of how many revolutions are made on the 1 mm pitch marked off in divisions of 1/20 of a complete rotation.
screw as the bottom conductor is lowered away from the To keep track of the rotation of the screw, line up a
top conductor. corner of the square post (below the screw) with the
scale. For example (see Figure 11), the number 4 is
➤ NOTE: To lower the conductor, turn the screws lined up with the outer corner of the square post, so
clockwise. one total rotation is complete when the 4 is once again
lined up with the same corner and then the conductor
➀ To make the bottom conductor parallel (level) with the has been raised or lowered 1 mm. Or, if it is desired
top conductor, place a mass (200 mg) on the mass pan to move the conductor only 0.5 mm, the screw can be
(see Figure 2) and/or twist the degree dial maximum rotated until the 9 is in the position formally occupied
clockwise to force the conductors together. Rotate the by the 4. Rotate both screws the same amount to
two separation adjustment screws alternately until maintain a parallel separation of the conductors.
there is no gap between the conductors on either end
of the conductors. Current Balance
base
➤ NOTE: Although the conductors are carefully
selected to be straight, there may still be a slight 1
9
bend in them. To minimize this error, insert a bent
2

1 mm
8

paper clip or needle in the small hole at the end of TURN

3
7

the bottom conductor and carefully rotate the con- 5 6

4
ductor until the gap is eliminated or minimized.

➁ Remove the mass from the pan and/or return the de- Separation
gree dial to the center zero position. Now the bottom adjustment screw
conductor is parallel to the top conductor and the zero
Figure 11 Top View of Separation Adjust-
position can be determined by moving the bottom
ment Screw
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Current Balance 012-04446D

Notes

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012-04446D Current Balance

Experiment 1: Force vs. Current

Introduction
The magnetic force of one current-carrying conductor on another parallel current-carrying
conductor depends on the current in the conductors, the length of the conductor, and the separa-
tion between the centers of the conductors. In this experiment the separation and the length of
the conductor are held constant while the current is varied to find how the force depends on the
current.
Procedure
Prepare the apparatus as described in the Experiment Setup section.
➀ Set the separation of the parallel conductors to 8 mm, or more, by following the instructions in
the previous section titled "Zeroing".
➁ Apply a known downward force by placing a mass between 5 mg and 50 mg on the center of the
mass pan.
➂ Adjust the current until the balance returns to zero. Record the current. Now the magnetic force
lifting the top conductor is equal to the weight of the known mass pushing it down.
➃ Holding the separation constant, repeat steps 2 and 3, measuring the force for several different
currents over as wide a range as the power supply will allow, up to a maximum current of about
15 Amps. Fill out Table 1.1.

mass (m) Current (I) Force (mg)

Table 1.1 Data and Calculations

Constant Separation = (Number of Turns x 1 mm) + 3.2 mm = ____

Length of conductor = _________

Data and Analysis
➀ Derive an expression for the force between two parallel current-carrying conductors in terms of
the current and the separation.
➁ Plot F vs. I2 to show that the result is a straight-line graph as predicted by the theory.
➂ Calculate the slope of the best-fit line from the graph. By looking at the expression derived in
Part 1, determine the theoretical expression for the slope. Using this expression for the slope,
solve for the magnetic permeability constant, m0 in terms of the slope. Calculate m0 by plugging
into this equation. It will be necessary to measure the length of the parallel conductors.

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Current Balance 012-04446D

Notes

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012-04446D Current Balance

Experiment 2: Force vs. Separation

Introduction
The magnetic force of one current-carrying conductor on another parallel current-carrying
conductor depends on the current in the conductors, the length of the conductor, and the separa-
tion between the centers of the conductors. In this experiment the current and the length of the
conductor are held constant while the separation is varied to find how the force depends on the
separation.

Procedure
Prepare the apparatus as described in the Experiment Setup section.
➀ Since the current will be held constant in this experiment, the force will be determined using the
continuous degree dial rather than the discrete masses. To calibrate the degree dial, first make
sure the balance beam is at the zero-balance position when the degree scale is at the center zero
and there is no current flowing through the balance and then perform the following steps:
a. Place a 20 mg mass on the mass pan, making certain it is centered over the conductor.
Turn the degree dial counterclockwise to bring the beam back to the zero-balance
position and record the degrees of rotation.
b. Repeat Step (a) for 50, 100, and 150 mg loads, filling in Table 2.1.
c. Plot the force versus the angle (ß) and draw the best-fit straight line through the data
points. Calculate the slope, k, to determine the force for any rotation of the degree dial
using the equation F = kß.
➁ Choose a current in the 5 to 10 Amp range and keep it constant for all measurements.
➂ Measure the force required to return the balance to zero for several separations from 4 to 15 mm,
filling in Table 2.2. The force is calculated from the angle reading on the degree dial and the
separation is determined by knowing how many rotations down from the minimum separation
the conductor has been lowered.

Table 2.1 Calibration Data

mass (m) Angle (ß) Force (mg)

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Current Balance 012-04446D

Table 2.2 Data and Calculations

Constant Current = _______

Length of conductor = _______

Degree Scale Calibration (k) = _______

Separation Separation
Angle (ß) Force (kß)
Number of turns (N) (N x 1 mm + 3.1 mm)

Data and Analysis

➀ Derive an expression for the force between two parallel current-carrying conductors
in terms of the current and the separation.
➁ Plot F vs. 1/r to show that the result is a straight-line graph as predicted by the theory.
➂ Calculate the slope of the best-fit line from the graph. By looking at the expression
derived in Part 1, determine the theoretical expression for the slope. Using this
expression for the slope, solve for the magnetic permeability constant, µo, in terms of
the slope. Calculate µo by plugging into this equation. It will be necessary to
measure the length of the parallel conductors.

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012-04446D Current Balance

Experiment 3: Horizontal Component of the

Earth’s Magnetic Field

Introduction
In this experiment no current flows through the bottom conductor of the Current Balance so the
only magnetic field lifting the top conductor is the Earth’s horizontal field.

Procedure
Prepare the apparatus as described in the Experiment Setup section.
➀ Orient the balance so that the parallel conductors are perpendicular to the N-S magnetic field
(i.e., aligned with East-West).
➁ Unplug the leads to the bottom conductor and connect them directly together if they are long
enough or use a third lead wire if necessary. Make sure these wires are kept away from the
balance.
➂ Now that the lower conductor has been bypassed, only the Earth’s magnetic field will act on the
current flowing in the upper conductor. Use as large a current as possible, up to 15 Amps, for
best results. Measure the force required to balance the apparatus.
➃ Measure the length of the top conductor that is perpendicular to the Earth’s magnetic field.

Data and Analysis

F
Calculate the horizontal component of the magnetic field using the equation B = .
IL

Questions
➀ Why does this experiment only measure the horizontal component of the Earth’s magnetic field?
How is the effect of the vertical component eliminated?
➁ In the other experiments using the Current Balance, why doesn’t the Earth’s magnetic field cause
an error?
➂ Where on the Earth would the Current Balance indicate the horizontal component of the Earth’s
magnetic field is zero?

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Current Balance 012-04446D

Appendix
Wire Replacement ➇ Thread the other end of the wire through the wire
clamp on the degree dial (see Figure 5). If the wire
In the event that the wire is broken, extra wire and an
catches on the threads in the shaft, inserting a small
allen (hex) wrench are provided to facilitate the repair.
smooth tube into the shaft may help (a plastic cof-
While performing the following steps, handle the
fee-stirrer tube works well). Tighten the allen (hex)
balance frame carefully to avoid bending the conduc-
set screw on the degree dial until there is a slight
tors and do not over-tighten the set screws that hold
the wire because this will cut the wire. drag on the wire

➀ Raise the gallium pots so they support one side of ➈ A spring scale is provided to fasten onto the end of
the rectangular frame while the other side of the the wire. After attaching the scale, pull on the scale
frame is resting on the lower fixed conductor. so it reads about 18 N (4 lbs) tension. While hold-
ing the tension, tighten the thumb screw on the wire
➁ Loosen the two thumb screws and the six small set clamp on the back-side of the degree dial. The wire
screws (located in the black blocks and at the ends is now secured on both ends.
of the wire) about two turns each and remove the
old wire (see Figure 9).
➉ Slide the balance beam as needed to put the contact
posts near the center of the gallium pots and gently
➂ Cut a piece of wire about 50-55 cm long. tighten the two remaining allen (hex) set screws lo-
cated in the tops of the two black plastic blocks
➃ First thread it through the two black plastic blocks
(see Figure 9). This locks the rectangular frame
on the rectangular frame. A little patience may be
into place and completes the replacement of the
required. You may be able to straighten the first
wire.
couple of centimeters of the wire by pulling it be-
tween your thumb-nail and fore-finger, with the Storage
thumb-nail pressing against the outside of the
curve. This may require several tries but it will To store the Current Balance, put the covers back on
greatly simplify threading the wire. the gallium pots. Leave the gallium in the pots.

➄ Carefully tighten the bottom set screw on each of ➀ Lower the gallium pots by loosening the position
the black blocks until there is a slight drag on the thumb screws (see Figure 3) and pushing the pot
wire. Excess tightening may damage the wire. down.

➅ Thread the end of the wire furthest from the degree ➁ Loosen the cover thumb screw.
dial through the rear support and then through the ➂ Rotate the cover 90 degrees, push the cover down
plastic wire clamp. The wire should extend and toward the pot, and tighten the cover thumb
through the plastic about 2 cm. Tighten the allen screw.
(hex) set screw on the plastic wire clamp until there
If storage space is limited, remove the damping vane
is a slight drag on the wire.
by following the instructions in Part II of the Assem-
➆ Tighten the thumb screw on the plastic wire clamp bly section in reverse.
so the wire is held in place but do not over-tighten.

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012-04446D Current Balance

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Current Balance 012-04446D

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012-04446D Current Balance

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Current Balance 012-04446D

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012-04446D Current Balance

Teacher’s Guide

Experiment 1: Force vs. Current

Notes on Procedure Notes on Data and Analysis

➀ For best results in calculating the value of µ o, keep
the distance between the conductors as large as pos- 0.0025
sible. f(x) = 9.852821E-6 * (x^2.018875E+0 )
1
R^2 = 9.993616E-1 1
➁ The masses used will depend on the separation and 0.002 1
1
1
the current. Using larger masses and currents does 1
1
not necessarily give better results: our best results 0.0015 1
1
1
were obtained with the smallest masses. 1
1
0.001 1
➂ This is the most critical measurement in the experi- 11
1
ment. Make sure that the balance is exactly zeroed, 1
0.0005 1
1
and measure the current carefully. 1
1
1
➃ Using larger currents will not necessarily give bet- 0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16
ter results. Our best results were with currents rang- Current (Amps)
ing from 3 to 8 amps.

µ oLI 2
➀ F=
2π r
➁ Alternately, one can plot F vs. I then use power re-
gression or a log-log plot to show the squared de-
pendence of F on I. The power regression method
will also give a multiplicative constant which corre-
sponds to the slope described in step 3. (see graph
above)

➂ µo = 2π r slope
L

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Current Balance 012-04446D

Experiment 2: Force vs. Separation

Notes on Procedure Notes on Data and Analysis

0.0014 1 0.0006
Force = 2.852276E-6 * angle - 1.953180E-5 1
0.0012 R^2 = 9.990699E-1 1 0.0005
1
0.001 1 1
1 0.0004 1
1
0.0008 1
1 1
0.0003 1 1
0.0006
1 0.0002
0.0004
1
0.0002 0.0001 F = 2.137669E-6 * (r^-1.007262E+0 )
1 R^2 = 9.994577E-1
0 1 0
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500 0 0.001 0.002 0.003 0.004 0.005 0.006 0.007 0.008 0.009
Angle (°) Radius (m)
µ oLI 2
➀ F=
2π r
➤ NOTE: The torsion constant (slope) will vary ➁ Alternately, one can plot force vs. radius then use
slightly with wire tension. You will have to recalcu- power regression or a log-log plot to verify the in-
late the slope each time the apparatus is set up. verse dependence of F on R. The power regression
method will also give a multiplicative constant
which corresponds to the slope described in step 3.
(See graph above)

➂ µ o = 2π slope
I 2L
Values of µ o determined by this method are gener-
ally less accurate than values determined by the
method of experiment 1, with errors in the range of
10%.

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012-04446D Current Balance

Experiment 3: Horizontal Component of the Earth’s Magnetic Field

Notes on Procedure Notes on Questions

➂ Use as large a current as possible, but for as brief a ➀ The vertical component of the earth’s field tends to
time as possible. Note that standard test leads be- produce a horizontal force on the apparatus. The
come noticeably warm with a current of 15A, so be balance is constructed to measure vertical displace-
careful. ment only, not horizontal displacement.
➁ In other experiments, the parallel conductors are
parallel to the horizontal component of the earth’s
field. The side rails of the balance are of course
perpendicular to this field, but since the current is
moving east in one rail and west in the other, there
is no net effect.
➂ The horizontal components of the earth’s field are
zero at the magnetic north and south poles.

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Current Balance 012-04446D

Notes

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012-04446D Current Balance

Technical Support

Feed-Back Contacting Technical Support

If you have any comments about this product or this Before you call the PASCO Technical Support staff it
manual please let us know. If you have any sugges- would be helpful to prepare the following information:
tions on alternate experiments or find a problem in the
manual please tell us. PASCO appreciates any cus- • If your problem is with the PASCO apparatus, note:
tomer feed-back. Your input helps us evaluate and Title and Model number (usually listed on the label).
improve our product.
Approximate age of apparatus.
To Reach PASCO A detailed description of the problem/sequence of
For Technical Support call us at 1-800-772-8700 (toll- events. (In case you can't call PASCO right away,
free within the U.S.) or (916) 786-3800. you won't lose valuable data.)

email: [email protected] If possible, have the apparatus within reach when

calling. This makes descriptions of individual parts
Tech support fax: (916) 786-3292 much easier.
• If your problem relates to the instruction manual,
note:
Part number and Revision (listed by month and year
on the front cover).
Have the manual at hand to discuss your questions.

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